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Saturday, 12 August 2017

New Music Friday 11/8

After spending last weekend at Brighton Pride, the NMF updates return (don't worry, you didn't miss anything anyway). Here's all the key tracks released this week (now let's go and listen to Kesha)...

Avicii + Rita Ora - Lonely Together

This has all the makings of a basic banger: EDM mainstay Avicii coming out of "retirement" (he's only 27!) to release a new EP; Rita Ora offering up some overly processed vocals as part of her current comeback. But I just can't bring myself to hate this: the yearning melody, the bass in the chorus drop, the infectious oscillating synths. It's three minutes of wonderful pop.

P!nk - What About Us

We're so used to the rock-pop singles from P!nk that releasing this plaintive track seems a strange choice, but it's also refreshing. A low-key political statement, she's outdone Katy Perry in the purposeful pop stakes: "what about us?" she cries, "man you fooled us, enough is enough." I hope Trump is listening.

Stefflon Don, French Montana - Hurtin' Me

She's released a string of singles, featured on a track with Jeremih, and now British-Jamaican rapper Stefflon Don has teamed up with French Montana for this new release. Joining patois lyrics and dancehall beats with the sort of tropical pop and reggaeton sounds storming the charts at the moment, she's managed to sum up much of 2017 in this big single set to soundtrack your weekend.

Gabrielle Aplin - Waking Up Slow

After making her name with folky acoustic ballads, Aplin has more recently turned to electro-pop and sounds all the better for it on her new 'Avalon' EP. Her songwriting talents are far from abandoned, but now they're accompanied by catchy synth hooks and an injection of tempo. It creates a rush of a pop song that matches the chorus lyrics: "All my nights taste like gold, yeah when I'm with you it's like everything glows."

Maja Francis - I'm Not A Disco

This week's Scandi moment, Universal's Maja Francis releases a new track in which she protests she's not a disco over glorious neon synths, softly bubbling bass and subtle beats that while not strictly disco, are certainly influenced by it.

Loreen & Elliphant - Jungle

Yep, there's always room for another Swedish track. The greatest Eurovision winner joins forces with the country's reggae/jungle star - the result is a brilliant mix of their two styles, all dirty rhythms and melancholic, sinuous melodies.

Bebe Rexha - (Not) The One

This is probably the best track on Rexha's new EP 'All Your Fault: Pt. 2'. She's yet to really have a proper smash single here in the UK, but her output is fairly consistent at least. This track not only makes great use of parentheses in the title, but has a pretty catchy chorus to boot.

Tori Amos - Up The Creek

This is the second track Amos has revealed off her forthcoming 15th (!) album 'Native Invader'. Lyrically this feels explicitly political ("we may just survive if the militia of the mind arm against those climate blind"), but sonically alone this is amazing: dark electronica, urgent strings, a crying guitar solo, trademark piano, and a perpetual beat that keeps you on your toes. Gothic pop at its finest.

Ella Eyre feat. Ty Dolla $ign - Ego

I'm not sure if Ella Eyre is really going to have a moment bigger than her feature on Rudimental's Waiting All Night, and this lazy pop track with a lazy rap feature isn't going to help matters.

Jessie J - Real Deal

Pop singer attempts to regain credibility with lame hip-hop influenced track, but undermines it all with a collaboration with M&Ms. LOL.